Klarinet Archive - Posting 000243.txt from 2003/11

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Cleaning keys?
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 17:14:30 -0500

At 08:13 AM 11/17/2003 -0500, Buckman, Nancy wrote:
>If your keywork is nickel, you are out of luck. Using polish will only
>gum up the mechanics. If you have silver keys, a tarnish cloth is all
>that you should use. If that doesn't work and you really have to have
>those shiny keys, take it to a repairman and he can buff the keywork on a
>buffing wheel. This is going to cost some bucks though. If your keys are
>tarnished, the buff job will shine them up, but as soon as you put your
>fingers on the keys again, they will begin to tarnish. It's the chemical
>makeup of the oils in your skin that causes the tarnish to appear. It
>will get expensive to have your keywork polished on a wheel and will
>remove metal every time you have it done.

The silver polishing cloths ($5.00 or less) do work to some degree on
nickel-plated and un-plated nickel silver. DO NOT attempt to use any sort
of liquid polish, since it is impossible to get it all of again and it will
gum up the works. I would avoid the Shino cloths as well, as they are too
abrasive for any more than occasional use against HEAVY tarnish.

Some peoples' skin chemistry affects the plating more than others. The
poor nickel-plated keys on my Selmer Series 10 look like hell and there is
nothing I can do!

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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